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Show 7 2 - EXTRACT. 1 railroad and overland mail route be increased sufficiently to protect it and ex, elude the Indiana therefrom. This department will make provision for auch Indiana as will submit to its authority and locate upon the resenation. Those who reeist should be punmod by the military and punished. With these Indians-the Sioux-and all others in hostility with the United States, trade and interconme should be interdicted, until they yield to the will and direction of the government. To this end, I recbmmend' that a law be passed mciluing it a penal offence for any person to carry goods, or supplies of any kind .&atexerr into tbeir country, for traffic; and that all permns, of whatever pursuit, Shall ;be prohibited &.om trading or trdcking with them while they are in a state dhosiilitg. Much has been said, and bhe public aind has lately been agitated, against the policy oE the government in making treaties. with Indian tribes, and soma persons in authority advise an abrogation of all existing treaties; but it is presumed that, while this nation is governed by the rules of civilisatio~,s ueh s proposition will not he entertained, to the ii?jury of all the tribes and nation-of Indians who are in amity with the United States. Where the Indiana havs kept faith with the government, no q~~estioofn expediency or policy will justify a violation of its pledges to them. There are, however, many Indiana within tbe domain of the United States, with wbom the government has 40 treaties acknowledging the primary right of soil in the tribes; with these, possibly, with some exceptions, it would be wise to abstain from making any treat? recognizing sneb right. Suitable reservations should be selected for them, and means adopted to establish them thereon, and to enable them, by tbeir o m industry, ta sustain themselves. . This policy has dready been introduced sue- I cessfnlly in the management of the Indians in.Cdifornia, and may properly ha applied, to a considerable extent, in the neighboring States and Territories. In I negotiating new treaties, where good policy or existing engagements will admit of that eourse of action, stipulations for the payment of money annuiLias should he avoided. I The propriety of the removal of the Navajoes of New Mexico and Arizom i to the B6aque Reddndo reservation has been a subject of much contrariety of opinion. This department, upon the best information at its command, con. sented to their removal. As the reservation has been set apart, and a lare num of money expended by the military authorities in the endeavor to per-manently establish' the Indiana there, great fickleness of purpose would be manifested in abandoning the enterprise before it shall have been fully and fairly tested. I am strongly inclined to the opinion, notwithstanding all that haa been urged against it, that, if the aeheme receives a fair and just support, it will prove a success, and these Indians, so long the foes of the government, will become its faithfil supporters. For further and detailed information on the subject of I n d h affairs I rr rpectfully refer to t%e elaborate report of the Commissioner. 1 |